Age of Innocence
by dolphina23
Summary: Naruto is a former street kid still living off of experience, determination and a heightened awareness of the tiny slum he calls home. Sasuke is an officer of the law. Both face grand odds in order to find their way to each other, and stay there.
1. Wreak Havoc, Breathe, Repeat

**Summary:** Naruto is a former street kid still living off of experience, determination and a heightened awareness of the tiny slum he calls home. Sasuke is an officer of the law. Both face grand odds in order to find their way to each other, and stay there.

**A/N:** A gift fic, for Cupricanka's birthday, though it's still in progress. Sorry, love. I meant this in grand style, and fine spirits and hope it lifts yours every time you read it. Happy Birthday.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any of the characters from it and make no money from this story.

**Age of Innocence**

**Chapter 1**

**Wreak Havoc, Breathe, Repeat**

Naruto raced along the sidewalk, a grin spread wide across his face. He huffed and breathed in and out faster as he picked up speed. Glancing behind him, he let out a raucous laugh, turned to face forward and pushed on. One of New York's finest, a very stout (Naruto thought he was more of a beer guzzler than he would ever admit considering his girth) boy in blue trailed him doggedly. Naruto almost felt bad for him, he was so red in the face, sweating badly and wheezing heavily enough to sound even more like the ass he was. Naruto chuckled again as he vaulted a low brick wall and sprinted across the junkyard he sometimes made a bed in and leaped over the chain-link fence to 117th Street. Turning a corner, he ducked into his friend Shikamaru's coffee-shop, swiveled into a seat and crossed his legs easily.

He didn't even have to hunch down as the cop blew past, sounding more wretched than ever. Naruto laughed quietly and signaled Shikamaru for a cup of black coffee. Swiping a discarded newspaper from the table next to him, he wiped a hand over his brow to clear the fine sheen of sweat and relaxed back into the hard black leather of his chair. A tired sigh came from behind him and Naruto was instantly on alert. He knew that sound, he would know it anywhere. He ran nervous fingers through his hair and closed his eyes. Swallowing hard, he turned slowly in his seat and forced his eyes upward. It wouldn't do for any of the regulars, who all knew him well, to see him cower.

Naruto Uzumaki, renowned street rat and erstwhile hustler, had reformed just enough to get a job and stop sleeping in doorways. But nothing much else had changed since he'd last seen his friend Sasuke Uchiha. And he could tell from the suit and tie, bargain rack style but still fashionable to keep his captain happy, that nothing much had changed for him either. Including the near black hair, spiked up in the back with long bangs covering his high forehead masking those matching eyes that cut to his very soul. The smirk was still leveled in his direction, just as hard and beguiling as ever. He couldn't believe it but his heart had actually begun to speed up inside his chest. _Just like old times,_ he thought bitterly.

"Yo, Sasuke," he called out, preferring to play the innocent. He waved a hand in his direction and flashed a smile. Hell, it was true . . . well mostly, especially since he'd gotten his act together.

"What's up?" Naruto smiled wider and Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He cleared his throat and frowned. Naruto felt like a child suddenly but straightened his back further and studied his old friend. Raking his eyes slowly up and down his clothes in the same way that had nearly gotten him arrested for harassment by the very same man, Naruto drank in the finely tailored black coat, the midnight blue suit and matching tie and the silver tie clip. He whistled appreciatively, which did nothing to ease Sasuke's current opinion of him. He chuckled.

"Oh, come on. I haven't done a thing. I was just admiring how well the Homicide Unit seems to be paying you now. Or did you change to IA? I hear they pay well enough for a suit like that. It looks good, Uchiha."

Sasuke frowned harder and rose from his seat, silently drawing back the chair opposite Naruto and sliding into it. It was so slow, yet so well done, that Naruto wanted to melt. He hadn't realized just how much he'd missed their occasional coffee breaks together. Well, it had been Sasuke's coffee break and most likely the first meal in days for Naruto. He'd been living on the streets at the time, hustling out blowjobs and 'hand service' to rich businessmen and closeted husbands, teachers and rough and tough athletes down in Crow Alley. Naruto lowered his gaze to cover the sorrow and guilt he knew Sasuke would see anyway. He'd always been so good at reading him.

"Naruto," Sasuke said softly. And though Naruto could hear the edge, Sasuke had softened it to a rough grating instead of a full-out assault.

"What have you been up to?" Sasuke made it a warning but Naruto couldn't resist one last jab at him.

He waved a hand in the air and sniffed. "Oh, you know, back to my old tricks. Literally," he answered. His eyes honed in on Sasuke's and held them.

He was surprised by the flash of pain he thought he saw there. But it was gone so suddenly that Naruto convinced himself that he'd missed it, a trick of the light through the picture window to his left. He laughed dryly and stood up to stretch.

"Relax, man. The Guiding Light Day Center kinda frowns on that type of thing. At least I think they do. I never really asked, just assumed, so I had to quit."

Naruto mused to himself for a moment, refusing to look at Sasuke though he could feel those wonderfully dark eyes coated in equally dark lashes boring into him. Sasuke wasn't amused by the grunt he paid him with before standing himself. Naruto's ears must have been playing tricks on him as well though. He could have sworn he'd heard a relieved, and quick, sigh just before it.

"Good. If you keep that up I might just pull Officer Brighton off your ass this time. Assuming, that is, he didn't have a good reason for tailing," Sasuke countered.

He'd made it sound like a question, arching a brow and waiting for Naruto's excuse. Naruto didn't have one. He'd heard shouting while shopping for his monthly turn to get the kids at the center breakfast, along with a few treats that he regularly spoiled them with, and had run on instinct. The fact that he had let it play out a little too long angering Officer Brighton even further had gotten him into more trouble than it was worth.

"He didn't. I think he got a call about a minor theft. It happened to be at the same store I was legitimately buying food at. Or so I gathered from all his shouting. I didn't feel like being late to work, not for something he could have seen as an obvious misunderstanding if he'd just talked to Shizune."

Naruto shrugged when Sasuke continued to glare at him.

"Go on and ask her. She took my money. I paid fair and square. Scout's Honor."

He raised two fingers in front of him and covered his heart with his other hand. The staring was beginning to attract attention and Naruto smiled warmly, eyes gleaming, to offset the tension in his own shoulders. Sasuke let a thin smile cross his own beautifully symmetrical mouth and waved him off.

"I already talked to her. But when I heard your name I figured I'd check up on you all the same. Especially since you seem to have lost my number."

Sasuke reached into his coat pocket and drew out a fine leather wallet. He slipped a crisp twenty out and handed it to Shikamaru, taking the two Styrofoam cups of coffee from him in return. He handed one to Naruto, passing over a slim business card caught between his fingers and the cup along with it. Shikamaru nodded and smiled, knowing better than to offer change. Sasuke never took it. Naruto just stared at him mutely, stunned.

Sasuke smiled; a rather revealing twinkle in his eyes. Naruto frowned and smacked his arm while Sasuke let out a single bark of laughter. Sasuke was making fun of him.

"No fair! I'm the only one who can do that!"

He pocketed the card all the same and glanced down at the watch some of the kids had chipped in to get him for Christmas. It was cheap but at least it was water-proof and it had been a touching gesture. Some of them continued to struggle to help feed their siblings and a few had already dropped out of school to work. Naruto, more than anyone they had encountered, understood the lengths a person sometimes found themselves lowering to in order to do that. It was also probably why they had taken to him so quickly.

Traffic screamed and screeched on the street and cab drivers hollered to each other and customers as they passed each other by on the busy causeway. Naruto cringed and bolted for the door forgetting to exhale as he drew in that first, stomach-clenching hit of smog. He grimaced and waved over his shoulder, not daring to waste the time to look back.

"Shit! I'll be late! How about we meet back here? Same time as usual tomorrow?"

He couldn't afford to hear Sasuke's answer either as he sprinted for the nearest subway entrance that luckily was located just around the corner. The raucous chorus of the metal barreling down on the tracks would have drowned it out anyway. He missed, too, the longing in Sasuke's eyes as he watched him go. It disappeared by the time the man had turned to nod at his partner, however. Opening the door to the dark blue Chevy Malibu, Sasuke muttered under his breath so his partner wouldn't hear and start to make assumptions.

"Naruto, you fool. You shouldn't worry me like that."

He nodded again once he'd gotten strapped in and they headed off to check in at the precinct before starting their shift. Sasuke frowned, still finding it hard to get used to his new appointment as lead Hostage Negotiator for team five. Naruto would find out about it, eventually. Sasuke hoped that he would get the chance to be the one to tell him. He wouldn't promise himself that, though. He never promised himself anything. That way, he would never be disappointed, especially over a relationship that never had been . . . and as far as he could afford, could never be.

Naruto blew out a hard breath as he reached the subway doors just as they peeled open. Sliding into the nearest seat, he settled into a more comfortable position and tried to calm down. He rubbed his hands up and down his jeans and straightened the pale blue sweater he wore. It hadn't been long since he'd started at the Center and he didn't want to make being late a habit. The management might have been pretty lax on dress code and forgiving about Naruto's lack of a proper address, but he didn't want to push it. His normally electric blue eyes darkened though he was never aware of the change. It happened at different times, or when he was dealing with different emotions. Naruto ran his fingers through his bright, blonde spikes of hair, twisting at the ends a little only to bring them down to rub at the whisker-like scars on his cheeks.

He really should find a place to stay soon. The train creaked and groaned along the tracks and metal screamed as they swept into the stop he needed. Crossing the tiles and vaulting up the stairs at a break-neck speed he sped up again. Naruto could feel the muscles in his legs begin to twitch and burn from the exertion and tried to slow up a little. But the Center came into view down the street and Naruto raced across a traffic pile-up heedless of the honking to get to the doors.

It wasn't like they were moving, but it was New York. People tended to be irritated for no reason sometimes. Well, in Naruto's experience they usually were. God, but he loved the city anyway. The bustle and charge, the crowded and choked shops and the tall buildings all felt so worn, like a favorite pair of pants. Taking a moment to smooth his shirt down one more time and steady his hands, he pulled the doors of Guiding Light open and smiled at Ino, the receptionist.

"Morning! How's the schedule look today?"

Ino smiled politely. "Nothing new. But Iruka is looking for you."

Naruto drew in a careful breath and smiled wider.

"Thanks," he said with a wave and started toward the set of offices to the right and near the back of the building. Humming a little to keep his nerves in check, he knocked on the door and waited. Just because Iruka Umino, the Center's Director, wanted to see him, didn't mean he was in trouble. But it was an old habit from high school, especially as Iruka had been his English teacher, to tread lightly when it came to authority. It carried over after he'd dropped out and begun hustling. He'd already been kicked out of his foster home for allegedly stealing and his life had spiraled down from there.

Luckily, Iruka had seen him at the Alley and had gone the next night to hand him condoms and offer him a place at his new business. He had made it part of the deal that Naruto needed to stop walking, so he had. It wasn't like it had been his first choice for a career anyway, just the easiest considering the circumstances. He'd made sure to spot the 'clients' that weren't comfortable going full out in terms of sex and stayed relatively safe and clean that way. And regular testing plus a solid rule about condoms had helped keep him healthy. Iruka called for him to enter and he breathed out one last time before turning the knob.

"Ah, Naruto," he called, gesturing for him to come in and close the door.

"Hey, Iruka. What did you want to see me about?" Naruto asked.

"Nothing major, so relax," Iruka assured him. Naruto took the seat Iruka directed him to and leaned back into it, breathing just a little slower. He curled his shoulders back and took a tissue from the desk to wipe his forehead with. Iruka eyed him curiously.

"The train was a bit late today," Naruto lied smoothly, smiling. He'd done his best to give up a lot of bad habits for the man, including smoking. But lying, especially when it could save his life, had become second nature and so was hard to stay away from. And really, he had no idea if he would need to use it again or if, for that matter, he would end up walking the Alley either.

"Well, wash up in the bathroom before you head out again, will you? I don't think the teachers will care how you're dressed as I'm just as laid back but it won't hurt to look a little less like a marathon runner," Iruka told him.

"Or smell like one," he teased as Naruto stared at him, confused.

"Did you forget?" Iruka asked.

He fixed a hard look at Naruto who grinned and shook his head, trying to stall. The man sat back and folded his hands in front of him. The scar that bridged the tanned skin of his nose twitched a bit. Iruka had always been a bit of an outsider, even while teaching. He kept his hair long, pulled up in a high ponytail, and had always been very open about his life including his family, or lack thereof. It was something that no other teacher Naruto had come across had done. Naruto shook his head again quickly.

"No, but I'll have to check my notebook for the address, because I'm terrible with directions. So, I'll check in with you again after I hunt for it."

Iruka grunted warily but waved him away.

"Just don't be late, okay? The parents that the teachers referred us to already think we're too expensive and haven't put out enough good results for them to bother. But we can't survive on donations alone. Get there early, do the presentation and ride with them back here for the tour."

Naruto nodded his head and rolled out of the chair to follow Iruka to the door as he spoke. The man had a habit of using the technique as a way of getting rid of overzealous politicians and their lawyers trying buy a better name for themselves come election time by offering Iruka one of their own private 'donations' in exchange for a good word in the press. He now used it with everyone else as it saved him time to look over and adjust, if the need arose, their program, the budget and any other odds and ends that came with running an after-school program. The Center also offered family counseling, free Planned Parenthood classes and advice to expectant teen mothers and kids looking for colleges or work study programs. It was a solid program and one that Naruto enjoyed working with even if most of the other employees had more of an education. All Naruto had come on board with was a G.E.D. and a quick online Associate's degree in childcare and psychology with a certificate in drug and alcohol recovery from the local University. No one knew, of course, that Iruka had helped him with those as well.

Naruto rolled the cheap desk-chair away from the drawers in his cubicle and slid his hands through piles of paperwork to get to the thin manila folder with all the details for the day's assignment. Finding it, he flipped through it hastily to refresh his memory as he strode to the elevator bank. He stopped and frowned heavily. Turning to stare at the closed door to Iruka's office, Naruto wondered if he remembered at all. George Washington High had been his old school, the one he'd dropped out of in his junior year.

Naruto sighed and pressed the down button. When the elevator arrived, he settled in to wait for the short haul down to the lobby. Twisting at the bottom of his sweater he fought to control his hands as the doors slid open again. It was going to be a very long day if he had to talk to a bunch of hard-driven, working parents who more than likely already held down two jobs a piece to get their kids decent meals and a place to sleep. Forget about an after school program despite the fact that it gave their children an even better chance at graduating, let alone college and a brighter future and all the crap the other counselors shoveled at them.

He shook his head, fighting the sudden rise of his own bitter memories. Swallowing hard, he walked back outside into a bright morning sun and whistled for a cab. Giving over the address, Naruto jiggled the knee he held crossed over his other leg nervously. He no longer needed to run through what he was going to say. He'd already done enough speeches to crowded, non air-conditioned gymnasiums full of mistrustful parents and their likely troubled kids to know it by heart. When the school came into view, nestled in between narrow alleys and encased by a wrought-iron fence that now housed cameras at discreet intervals, Naruto shuddered. He knew they were there to keep the kids, and very likely the teachers, safe from things he was all too familiar with. But the thought of being watched so closely still bothered him.

He did not have a fond nostalgia for the brick and stone beast he had to walk into, even if it was now as an adult. Three stories and all grey, it overlooked more buildings that were very similar though they were not educational facilities. The plaque riveted into the column at the gates read: 7th District George Washington High School, A Path to Great Heights to Rival the Stars. Naruto resisted the urge to snort and reminded himself that it was one of the biggest schools in the district, and the most successful, at not only graduation but college freshman. Most of the kids did well.

But there had been a recent increase in violence, mainly due to bullying, and teen pregnancy dropouts. Mandatory searches had resulted in drug busts that, in turn, lead to more raids. It made the kids resent not only the authority that simply tried to get them out in one piece and into a better system but their parents as well. The Center could help the police and the teachers slow down, if not halt altogether, the descent the students seemed to be taking. Naruto believed that even despite where he had ended up because it hadn't been the end of him. He'd gotten into a better situation. But it wasn't thanks to drugs, money, gangs or because he was half-Asian.

Iruka and his center accounted for Naruto's last chance to see good meals and a safe place to work. Having the courage to take it had been his part in it. He was someone the kids could relate to. His life before the center - dabbling in drugs, the hustling, stealing at times just to eat – hadn't gotten him anywhere without being accompanied by pain, fear and the constant worry that he'd end up dead right there on the asphalt. Naruto knew quite a bit about how hard it would be for them. And talking about it, along with the things Iruka and the other counselors could do to get them past that kind of life, usually broke through the walls parents tried to build to keep people like them out. Naruto squared his shoulders and rang the buzzer at the gate, knowing full well about the security office and the need for the metal detectors at every entrance.

It wasn't just New York, either, that found itself struggling in its efforts to stop guns, bullies and perverts from entering their schools. Naruto understood the rippling undercurrent of tension for the teachers and administrators, so he waited. Once he'd explained through the intercom to the officer who he was, shown him ID and given him Iruka's name and number to call so he could vouch for him, Naruto was buzzed inside. What he and the security officer unfortunately failed to catch was the figure that hustled, low and inside the blind spots of the cameras, along the inside wall and through the door of the school just a few steps behind Naruto.

Naruto saw the security guard, a woman, trolling the halls on her daily rounds as he made his way toward the assembly of students and parents. He'd actually been trying to find the office when he realized the metal detectors at the front hadn't been switched on and the guard hadn't come to meet him. But then, it wasn't usual to have to call into the building and display ID, name and a reference before being let inside. Naruto waved and stopped walking. The woman nodded and stood in place, her hands crossed in front of her. At least she wasn't a rent-a-cop. They never knew how to read body language worth a damn.

"I noticed the system at the front wasn't on. And frankly, I expected to meet you at the door," he commented, trying not to make as offensive as it seemed.

Her mouth thinned out in disapproval.

"Yeah, well blame the admins." She seemed to realize just what she'd said and stopped to glance around the hall in case they had been overheard. Naruto shook his head and raised his hands in front of him.

"Hey, I was just wondering. I saw the metal detectors had been put up and was worried about it, so I asked."

The officer sighed.

"They're down because they haven't been working, the maintenance department doesn't have anyone that knows how to fix them and the security company that makes it won't have anyone here until tomorrow," she answered curtly.

She seemed more put out by it than Naruto thought necessary until he remembered that George Washington High was a school with nearly twelve hundred students and less than the forty teachers required to educate them. Throw in daily visitors from various school-related organizations, all the assistants, student teachers and secretaries, and her job to keep an eye on them all, keep them safe, would be an achievement short of miraculous. Naruto waved himself off and smiled over his shoulder as he left her to her walk.

"Sorry for the trouble. But at least they have you to watch out for them. I'll be on my way to give that talk now."

She called out to him then, frowning.

"You don't need directions?"

"Na! I used to go to school here," Naruto replied with a cheerful grin. The guard stared at him, nonplussed. Naruto laughed and shrugged.

"I guess, with that look, I'm one of the lucky ones, eh?"

The guard smiled thinly at him and waved him off.

"I have to get back to work. Enjoy the quiet while you can."

Naruto watched her leave wondering what she had meant by that. But the gym doors had come into view and he heard the roar of three hundred hyper students. He also heard the teachers shouting for silence and groaned. What made his day even worse was that the entire school was to be given the same presentation and that meant three more assemblies full of the rats. He sighed heavily, pulled a grin on his face and yanked the door open, praying to Buddha that they wouldn't try to eat him.


	2. The High Road Can Be Lonely, But Only So

**A/N:** Gift fic for Cupricanka's birthday. I said it would be a chapter fic didn't I? Anyway, thanks for reading, if indeed you all stuck around. Lots of action in this chapter so I hope you all enjoy.

**Chapter 2**

**The High Road Can Be Lonely . . . But Only Sometimes**

Naruto sighed inwardly. He was very careful not to let it get out. All the eyes trained on him made him feel itchy. The almost angry glares made him want to explain more, as if it would help. He hated dealing with parents. He didn't have enough experience with them. But he wouldn't have been sent here, or to all the other schools, if he hadn't been good at convincing people to do things. It was a wonder he hadn't used it to run a good con job. Naruto smiled a little to himself at that. Some of the parents drew themselves up straighter, but most just waited to hear if he had anything else to say.

All the noise the students had made earlier in their attempts to get out of being treated like the children they were had given Naruto a headache. He fervently wished to see the security guard on his way out so he could do something equally as childish, like one of his famous pranks. Naruto shook his head, shrugged haplessly and sat back down.

"I've said all I can. It's up to you whether you think your kids are worth it."

A few of the fathers' faces set into harder, angrier looks, their mouths turned down harshly. Naruto didn't blame them. He rose up off his chair and looked over at Sarutobi, the old administrator of the school. Naruto thought him old, even by his standards. The guy should have retired years earlier but had loved his job and likely didn't have anything else to do with himself. The old man gave him a tired, embarrassed smile. His thinning white hair, heavily lined face, kind eyes and slightly perverted jokes made him the weird grandfather everybody liked but barely associated with. Naruto chuckled at him. Turning back to the other people in the room, he rubbed at the back of his neck and smiled abashedly for them.

"Hey now, it's your right to do whatever you please. I'm just here to try to offer your kids something extra beyond the programs at the school and the outside activities. And we all know some of them, as hard as it is to admit, could get them into a lot of trouble. You have the guides and the maps." Naruto gestured to the pamphlets they all held, the ones he'd brought from the Center to all his presentations.

"None of you have to participate. If you can't afford it, it's not like there aren't other places to go for. I'm just trying to urge you to consider, because of the risk this city can carry, giving your kids a safe, reliable and fun place to hang out. The fact that we also help people with college, tutoring and a lot of other services that would all work to their benefit is just cream. You know, like on shortcake."

Naruto giggled a little at the lame joke. But it had served its purpose. Though most of the parents, and a few teachers, rolled their eyes, Naruto saw that they had also relaxed enough to listen properly again.

"I have a tour scheduled for you all. Students as well, seeing as how they're the ones that'll be using the Center. The school has offered the use of their buses and whoever chooses to apply at the facility can talk about it further with the director."

Naruto winked at them and raised a hand, as if he was letting out a secret.

"Just make sure you see a cup of coffee nearby. He gets grumpy without enough caffeine."

Some of the adults smiled a little while others looked away, still unable to trust that what Naruto was offering would do any good. Naruto knew that many would choose other sources because of their income, but he felt he had sold at least a few on the idea. He smiled cheerfully, closing his eyes, and beckoned for them all to stand.

"Okay! So, we'll head over there and you all can take a look at what we have to offer before deciding on what you want."

The chairs the janitor services had scraped back in the shuffle as people began to stand and turn for the doors at the rear of the gym. The low murmur of side conversations had risen to a dull clamor. Many of the kids looked even more bored than their parents. Some had twisted their faces in an effort to look frightening. It could be, for some, a better way to keep from getting hassled by cops, teachers and other, bigger kids. Naruto wanted them and a few of the harder cases to sign up. He would have to make some time in that day's schedule to accommodate talking it over in more detail with those parents. They all deserved the chance to grow in a good environment, just like everyone else.

A loud bang, nearly an explosive thundering, filled the air and an acrid smell reached Naruto's nose. He swallowed hard and searched the back of the room with his eyes. Catching sight of a guy in a long black coat and greasy, long, black hair, he made sure to keep him in view. The man stepped forward and raised his arm, a long automatic rifle grasped tightly in his fist. Naruto couldn't help focusing on how white it made his knuckles look.

Parents, students and teachers screamed and rallied for the doors, trying to get as far away from the lethal weapon and the man as possible. He fired again, into the ceiling, and glared wildly at them all.

"Nobody moves! I'm here to get my kid and as long as you all stay nice and quiet, I won't kill you. Got it?"

Naruto gritted his teeth and pushed forward to stand in a cleared space on the stage. Most of the participants of the assembly had fled to the corners and sides of the gymnasium with some crouching below their seats.

"Fuck! You gotta be kidding me! You're gonna hold people hostage for something as selfish as that? What'd she do, insult your manhood and refuse you your second visit for the month? And you think threatening a bunch of decent people who had nothing to do with it will help?"

Naruto had the gun leveled at his chest for his trouble. He gazed at it calmly and without moving. The old principal Sarutobi hissed and clawed at Naruto's hand from his place crouched behind the podium.

"What the hell is wrong with you? You wanna die, be my guest. I _said_ I'm just here for my kid. Give him to me and I'll go. Nobody has to die today."

Naruto raised his hands to shoulder height and stepped forward the smallest of inches, creeping forward the best he dared considering how devastating he knew a rifle blast could be. He wasn't so stupid to believe in all those dramas on TV. Most hostage situations ended badly, usually with police accidentally killing just as many bystanders as the suspects did.

"Okay, all right. If your son's here today, we can all sit down and talk. But I can't let you leave here with him. So you're going to have to shoot me for it. Of course, that just means the cops that are probably already on their way might kill you to keep everybody here safe. And, that won't help your son, not at all."

The man looked wildly about the room, barely focusing on Naruto. He looked terrified. But, unlike how it happened in books, Naruto knew that fear was just as dangerous as anger. His mind played tricks on him, morphing the face in front of him to that of many. The older gentlemen and the unattractive closeted gays he had serviced in Crow Alley floated over the man's face. And then it changed again into much harsher, and far more frightening, lines that housed sleepy, empty eyes. Naruto swallowed hard and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, but only a moment.

He had to stay calm. He couldn't afford to say the wrong thing, make the wrong move. Although, he supposed that trying to talk a crazed gunman into giving in before they'd even found out what he wanted probably constituted as recklessness. He just knew; could feel it in his stomach; that someone was going to get shot. He only hoped he could keep the man focused on him and not on any of the other bodies he could pick off should he decide a melee killing spree was in order.

"Look," Naruto tried again. He raised his arms even higher when the man pushed the gun out further toward him.

"Why not give me his name at least? Or his grade? He's obviously not in the room right? And we can't find him for you two to talk without knowing his name."

Naruto prayed he was going in the right direction. He could hear crying and whimpering all around him, stifled as much as possible by hands or collars. People shifted in their fear restlessly. The gunman turned wildly around in his spot, searching the corners and walls hurriedly. He looked so frenzied that it became a familiar trip to Naruto. The guy was on something, coke or heroine maybe. It was probably a mix of the two, and quite a lot of it, to make him so paranoid and twitchy. Naruto swallowed heavily again and started to kneel on the floor. He lowered his eyes when the man caught the motion.

"I'm a little tired of standing. So, if you don't mind, I'm going to sit. And, like I said, no one here can help if you don't let us know a few things. How about telling me your name?"

Naruto tried to keep his voice light and airy without sounding patronizing. It was incredibly hard to guess if it was working or not and his heart picked up speed every time the man in front of him moved. But it seemed to have calmed him down enough to relent, at least in giving more information. He rocked his gaze between Naruto, the door and the other hostages. Because that was what they were now, Naruto mused.

"My name's Henry. My kid's name is Skylar. He's twelve."

Naruto fought back the breath he'd been holding and breathed through his nose. He tried not to smile at Henry either. The guy was so nervous, hopping madly on . . . whatever, that Naruto knew it wouldn't take much of a push.

"Okay, Skylar. That's a nice name. Mine's Naruto. And you're Henry. Can I call you Henry?"

Henry's face twisted and he rushed forward quicker than Naruto could prepare for. It wasn't likely he was going to survive a full-out fist fight with a gunman anyway. So he let the guy hit him, throwing back his head a little just before the knuckles came down so that his cheekbone only ached instead of broke. Naruto winced and looked back at the man being sure to make eye contact.

"Are you sure you're where you wanna be? This is George Washington High School," Naruto told him evenly, his teeth and jaw set to control the pain in his head from the blow.

"Of course this is where I wanna be!" Henry shouted in his face. He was leaning in too close and Naruto moved his head to the side but didn't back away. He didn't want to get hit again after all.

"My kid's gifted and that _bitch_ . . . ," Henry railed on, waving his arms now, including the one with gun. The sight, Naruto could see the red dot of light now, danced along the wall and zeroed in on a spot that was level with Henry's chest. Naruto frowned.

"That bitch took him to New York. She enrolled him here, 'cause he's a genius. And then, she married that man," Henry ranted, disgust plain on his face and his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Naruto kept his eyes away from the red light, finally figuring out through the panic and the noise of Henry's shouting that it couldn't have been from his gun. There was a sudden loud squawk, a piercing whine and a voice floated in from the outside. Naruto recognized it immediately and drew in a quick, harsh breath. It felt like he hadn't done it in forever, and was instantly grateful.

"This is Sergeant Sasuke Uchiha with the New York Police Hostage Rescue. We're sending in a phone through the window. I'd like you to use it."

Sasuke let go of the button on the megaphone and stepped back. Having arrived just a few minutes ago they had already cleared the rest of the school on the east side where the gymnasium was located. One of the other teachers had filled them in on exactly who was inside and had even been able to give them some of the parents and teachers names as well. She had also told them why there had been an assembly that day, with each class going in one at a time. So Sasuke knew that Naruto was currently in a room full of scared adults and their children, a principal, a few teachers . . . and one crazed man with a very large rifle judging from witness testimony on how loud the report had been.

Sasuke made a quick decision and handed the headset to his second in command, his partner Kakashi Hatake. The man had also been something of a mentor to Sasuke so he couldn't understand why he hadn't wanted to lead the team any longer. But the stress of their jobs, trying to talk some very troubled or very angry people out of doing something heinous or possibly deadly could do that, he guessed. Kakashi's eyebrows rose until they almost met the mop of silver hair falling all around his head. His one visible eye, the other gone in some past firefight he never talked about, held a quiet intelligence that over-rode the lazy air everyone else saw. It had been replaced by red glass, something that tended to throw suspects off whenever Kakashi bothered to remove the patch.

"You take negotiations on this one. I'll be with the rest of the team outside the door."

Sasuke knew he had to make this one good. It wasn't just the safety of all the hostages, Naruto included, that weighed on his mind. He had to make sure he could pull his own weight as the youngest commander of a hostage rescue team. Even though he'd been a detective with Homicide, and before that a patrol officer as most who applied for HRT had been, Sasuke knew that the men who worked under him only saw that he was barely twenty-five. He stood rigid for a moment before gathering his rifle and hand gun and zipping the flak jacket he wore all the way up. He eyed the other team members with careful scrutiny when, crouching, he approached the door to the gym inside the school.

Sasuke keyed the radio microphone open from the button at his throat and heard the rasp of static that let him know he could speak.

"Hatake, I'm in position. Throw it."

Kakashi, already in place at the base of the gym's only our-facing window in the door that lead to the fields, took and aim tossed the phone and chord through it. The resulting crash had some of the hostages crying out. He waited a moment to make sure the assailant didn't retaliate and then headed quietly back to the van parked out of the line of fire. Once he'd positioned himself at the computer, he flipped the switch that would open the line and dial in to the throw phone, as they called it.

Henry swept the gun at all the walls, nearly whimpering and Naruto kept an eye on him as well as the only other door to the gym. He could see it had opened up just a spare few inches and a long metal pole with a mirror had come through. It retracted back the moment Henry turned in that direction and Naruto blew out a breath. Henry spun to train the gun on him suddenly and pointed at him.

"You! Go pick up the phone and toss it back!"

Naruto got to his feet and tried to make his steps steady and not too slow. When he reached the phone, he hesitated. Apparently, Henry hadn't liked that.

"What are you waiting for?! Throw it!" he shouted, turning his back to the door. He rubbed his forearm with his free hand and breathed in and out heavily. Naruto turned to face him and fought to keep his own breathing under control as he tried to reason with him.

"Listen. You want them to go away, right Henry?" Naruto said.

His voice had begun to shake a little but he swallowed back enough fear to keep going. Henry hadn't come over to shoot him, after all, and he was going to use the time.

"I think we should pick it up," Naruto commented hopefully. He tried to make his voice as light as before but feared that it had gotten too high.

Henry had begun walking toward him, fist raised to strike, when the phone began to ring. Naruto chanced a look down to the handle. He could see it vibrate slightly with the sound. Henry glanced back up at him and swept his gaze over the other people in the room nervously. He licked his lips. Naruto nodded and kept his hands raised, wiggling his fingers a little at the tingling pressure from having to do it for so long.

"Look, if we answer it maybe they can tell you where Skylar is. You know, I don't think anyone here has seen your kid."

Naruto silently prayed that the cops on the other side of the door had heard and were now trying to find the boy so they could keep him out of his deranged father's hands. But that had been the wrong thing to say. Henry flashed angry eyes at him and his mouth had nearly collapsed it had thinned out so much. When he spoke, it was more of an explosion.

"What the hell makes you so sure?! He's here! I saw her take him to school this morning!!"

Henry was nearly screaming now, the phone continued to ring, and outside, a booming voice called to them through the static blowback of a megaphone. Naruto slid his feet in front of him in tiny, nearly noiseless shuffles.

"Mr. Silver? This is Officer Hatake from the NY police. I'd like you to pick up the phone so we know what's happening. We want to make sure everything is all right in there."

That just made Henry even angrier or maybe it was the paranoia creeping in again. Henry kept darting back and forth between watching the door to the outside, the door into the rest of the school and the phone near Naruto's feet. Naruto slid his feet forward just a bit more. It caught Henry's attention, finally, and the man leapt forward to drag Naruto around by his hair. Naruto could suddenly see a gun in his face and feel the cold metal of the barrel on his cheek. He kept his eyes narrowed and gritted his teeth. Naruto hissed when Henry brought the muzzle up and sent it back down in a powerful arc, right into the side of his head.

His thoughts spun and became fuzzy nearly instantly and Naruto wanted to laugh. It was all too funny. At twenty-three, he'd spent nearly ten years of his life on the street, doing one of the most dangerous jobs even if it wasn't recognized as such. He fought drug dealers who tried to scare him from the alley he'd worked, dealt with coked out or freakish customers and had gone weeks without food or adequate water when he hadn't gotten a single bite from nightly walks in frigid weather. He couldn't believe that he was going to die in this godforsaken place. Jesus, his own god damned high school.

Naruto felt himself being pulled forward a bit more and he dragged his feet trying to find a way to break the man's hold on his hair. He wanted to keep the gun in view too but hated the sight of it.  
"You wanna know what's happening?!" Henry shouted out the door. "I'm giving you back your phone! And then I'm gonna go see my kid! Sunshine, here, is gonna take me."

He grabbed the phone and tossed it through the broken window. Naruto thought it had been really reckless. They could have shot him then and there. But he supposed it was his own fault, just as it was his fault that he was having trouble focusing on anything but Henry's image swimming in his head. Naruto felt Henry reach around his shoulders and turn him around. But the next thing that he was aware of scared the living shit out of him. Not only had Henry grasped him around his neck from behind, but the door to the rest of the school had slid slowly open. In walked three armed police officers, Sasuke leading them.

Naruto began to struggle then, everything around him coming into sharper focus. His lip felt swollen and he realized it had taken some if the hit from the gun muzzle. Or maybe it was two hits. Arms raised above him, Naruto tried to claw at Henry's shoulders to get him to loosen his grip. But Henry fought to keep him still and used the hand around his collar to do it. Suddenly now, there wasn't enough air. Naruto gasped . . . and gasped again. He stared right into Sasuke's dark, burning gaze and felt the burning in his own. It reached down into his throat and chest, making it even harder to get whatever air Henry allowed him.

"Let him go, Henry. You have five seconds. I won't say it again." Sasuke's voice floated to him from a dream. A wonderful dream, where they were playing down in a field as kids, laughing as Naruto tried to trip Sasuke into the stream that split the grassy plain in two.

"Let him go now, and this can end without making your kid an orphan, Henry." Naruto didn't recognize that voice but he knew it had been behind them. Or to the side . . . it was so hard to see, to concentrate. Fear and whatever drug combination he was on driving him, Henry tossed Naruto to the ground and tried to raise the gun at the officers in front of him. The man who'd come from the door to the outside caught his free arm and held the elbow bent back to near breaking. Sasuke focused on the gun arm, keeping his finger behind the trigger so Henry couldn't fire, either accidentally or otherwise. But even though they had managed to grasp the gun and render it away from him, Henry apparently had other ideas. Naruto, gasping and coughing while crouching on the floor, caught sight of a glint of metal in his belt as Sasuke and the other cop struggled to get Henry to the ground. He sucked in a quick breath, realizing what it was, and called out.

"Look out! He's got a knife!"

It was too late. The hold the other officer had on Henry's arm slipped away as Sasuke finally wrestled the gun from him. The momentum from Henry trying to struggle free carried through to when he reached for the blade and drove it right into Sasuke's thigh, high up, near his hip. Sasuke snapped his teeth together and grimaced, narrowing his eyes. But he didn't cry out. Naruto watched the other officers converge on the man and drag him away from Sasuke to the floor. Henry screamed, enraged, his eyes flaring wide until Naruto could see white all around the dark irises. He could feel the others all around them: the parents that cried and questioned their children, the principal who was speaking to one of the other officers now that they had cuffed and dragged Henry out of the room. It all came to him in flashes, fits and starts.

Naruto dragged himself forward, feeling his limbs weakening at the sight of blood seeping into Sasuke's dark green pants. It probably didn't help that his head ached badly enough to make his eyes burn and dizziness created spots in front of his line of sight. But he continued on until he could see the knife right in front of him and reached shaking hands out to cover the sides and pressed down. Sasuke hissed and tried to pull away, glaring down at him.

"I'm fine. It didn't go very deep and there isn't much blood. So I'll be fine," Sasuke wheezed out through the breath he'd been holding. Naruto shook his head and held on tighter.

"You have to keep still," Naruto murmured to Sasuke, fighting the darkness in his own vision.

"Kakashi," Sasuke said, turning to the cop that had helped him earlier.

The older man with the silver hair and strangely colored eyes and a scar running down one of them came towards them, but Naruto was desperate to try to keep his hold on Sasuke.

"Easy now, kid. We can handle this. It's better if you move away."

Naruto shook his head again furiously.

"Naruto, listen to him. You're injured," Sasuke said quietly. "I'll be fine, really. Let go."

Naruto struggled to get air past his mouth and down his burning throat. His fingers weren't working right, not at all. He squeezed the damp cloth underneath them, feeling the blood leak out anyway. Kakashi grabbed at them and Naruto jumped, shuddering.

"It's okay. He'll be alright. Let go now."

The voice was soft, lulling a calm Naruto did not want to feel straight to his bones. He let go finally and allowed Kakashi to help him to Sasuke's side. Moving to stretch his legs out, he canted his head so he could keep Sasuke in view. One of the other cops was on a radio and there were men in blue jumpsuits carrying red bags coming into the room. Two of them came over to Naruto and glanced up at his head. Naruto could feel sweat trickling down the side of his face but smelled metal. He tasted it too, on the tip of his tongue.

"You've got a pretty good knot on your head there. Mind if I take a look?" one of the blue jumpsuit men said.

Naruto nodded numbly but twisted away from the probing fingers. It hurt. His stomach rolled and tried to kick up the pastry he'd sneaked from the school's kitchen when they'd had a break an hour ago. It felt like it had been days since he'd walked out of the Center earlier that morning. His eyes caught sight of all the other people being guided out by medics and cops. Some were being asked things Naruto couldn't hear while sitting on the stiff plastic chairs and gripping their kids or their arms for dear life. They all looked so hollow. Naruto wondered if he was the same. He heard his name being called and turned to focus on the medic in front of him, the blue jumpsuit looking even funnier with every passing second.

"Naruto? Can you hear me? Can you tell me if you passed out at all?"

Naruto shook his head but the medic wouldn't let him up.

"How about what you had for breakfast? Can you tell me that?"

Naruto sighed and relayed not only what he'd eaten but the date and the time the presentation had ended. He had glanced at his watch at that moment, hoping by some twist of temporal distortion that he could leave. The medic smiled at him and looked slightly relieved though he hid it well.

"Alright that's good. So you're going to go with us to the hospital now. I'd like you to get on the gurney and I'm going to put a collar on you. It won't hurt. We just need to make sure your neck and head aren't seriously injured."

Naruto nodded again silently, not trusting his voice at the moment. It had already begun to crack as it was. He made sure to see that Sasuke had gotten out of the room first, though he felt irrationally pissed off at him. The parting shot Sasuke had sent him probably didn't help.

"Don't leave," Sasuke had said. Naruto had felt his heart jump a bit, thumping almost painfully against his ribs. Then Sasuke had gone and ruined it.

"I mean after the hospital. There'll be officers who will want to know what happened before we arrived."

Naruto had tried to glare at him but the increasing pain reverberating in his skull had turned it into a wince. Sasuke had reached over, strapped to the gurney as he'd been, and ghosted a finger along the bruise on his cheek. Well, Naruto thought it must be bruised. It felt broken.

"I've had worse," Naruto tried to say, though it came out more of a croak. He winced again but not from pain. Sasuke eyed him carefully, concern swimming in his eyes. Naruto saw more bright lights and spots in his vision, but fought them and the nausea creeping up his stomach.

"I'll be fine," Naruto mumbled. Sasuke hummed under his breath and waved the medics to continue on.

Naruto let all the tension and the breath he'd been straining to hold out in one long sigh. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, willing the throbbing in his skull to ease up. When he opened them again, the gurney he'd gotten onto started to move and the collar tugged at the hairs on the back of his neck. But what made him feel even worse was that he knew it would be hours before he could talk to Sasuke again, if at all.

Sasuke rested his head back against the wall and waited. The doctors had already removed the blade after extensive MRIs and x-rays determined it hadn't hit anything vital and could be brought out without surgery. They'd stitched him up and he was cleared to return home as soon as the nurse came back with the post-ER instructions. He was to keep the bandaging around his leg dry, not get the stitches themselves wet and take a course of antibiotics. He would return in a week to get them taken out provided he didn't start to feel sick or contract a fever, a sure sign of infection. While he had never been injured before, he'd spent enough time following his mother on her rounds as an ER physician to know more than he'd like about it.

He was more worried about Naruto than himself at the moment, though. The doctors had released him half an hour ago. He'd left the hospital with a promise to travel to the station to sign the witness statement Kakashi had taken from him while he'd been downstairs. According to Sasuke's own doctor, who he'd threatened with a trumped up arrest should he pull any of that doctor/patient privilege crap on him, Naruto had had a moderate concussion but no bruising or bleeding in his brain. They'd watched him for a few hours and then decided he could go home if he had someone who could stay close and wake him every few hours, just to be sure. Naruto had lied through his teeth to get out, Sasuke was sure.

He was the only one Naruto had ever trusted with anything. They'd known each other a long time, even if his family had moved him and his brother Itachi to another city when Sasuke was eight. It didn't matter, either, that Sasuke hadn't spoken to him in nearly a year after he'd returned. He'd been going after the HRT slot left open by Kakashi when he'd chosen to give up command. And Naruto had been too screwed up with the hustling, the occasional drug use and the risks he took sleeping out in the open, especially in a place like New York. Sasuke had taken him out for coffee and a meal on more than one occasion, fighting to keep his friend from a jail cell, or worse, death. Sasuke opened his eyes, unaware they had closed. The nurse bustled into the room carrying the forms he was to sign and the antibiotic samples he had to take.

"So, you're all set," she said, smiling pleasantly after he'd finished and rolled off the bed.

"Uh un, not that way, honey," she called him back from the door.

He felt her hand on his arm and it irritated him. Why the hell couldn't he just leave? He wasn't going to sue the place if he slipped and fell on a wet floor. If he was stupid enough to let that happen then he deserved more than getting stabbed by a cokehead derelict father. The school had recorded the child, twelve year old Skylar, as having been called out sick that day. Another detective from the special crimes unit had called his mother. They dealt with anything involving kids and that included attempted abduction even if they hadn't been aware of it.

Sasuke just wanted a hot shower and his bed with the Egyptian cotton sheets his grandmother had sent him for Christmas. He hadn't gotten to try them out yet. So he allowed the nurse to set him up in a wheelchair and glared holes through his men as they held back grins. It wasn't everyday that the upstart prodigy son of a detective got stabbed apparently. Sasuke hissed at Kakashi as he took over for the nurse and, bending down to whisper in his ear, told him how he'd swiped her number when she was supposed to have been getting him another IV.

Another twenty-minute drive through the tangled streets and aggravated crowds of New Yorkers and Sasuke was home. The modest brownstone he lived in, a split-level home with a small patch of grass in front and decorative wrought-iron fence, was not as high end as his family trust fund could offer but it was in a quieter part of the city. Sometimes, when the detritus and the noise of the night spilled into his bedroom, Sasuke couldn't imagine living in this place without going insane. So he kept to the outskirts and it made the trials of being a cop in such a large, broken-down city far more tolerable. He'd even begun to like it, finally. _And it only took five years,_ he mused as he hobbled up the stairs to his door. He'd waved Kakashi off and then threatened to fire him before skinning him alive if he even hinted at helping Sasuke get into his own house. He was going to bed.

Turning the key to the deadbolt and sliding the oak front door open Sasuke's instincts, still buzzing from the successful capture from earlier, went on alert. Someone was in his house. He could hear rustling in . . . his kitchen of all places. Sasuke tread quickly and carefully through his living room and down the connecting hall. By the time he'd reached the kitchen and caught sight of the bright blonde hair from the man leaning into the refrigerator, he'd already drawn his gun, a standard Glock 9mm, out of the holster strapped to his good hip. The movement was awkward and meant he had to change the grip because he was right-handed and the knife wound happened to be on that side.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he barked from his place at the door. He already pulled back the weapon and replaced it. The hair was just too familiar, though Sasuke had a feeling that threatening him wasn't going to get him to go away this time.

Naruto peeked up from over the top of the fridge and grinned embarrassedly at him.

"Hey," he said quietly. He took his hands out and lifted them to show Sasuke the salami he'd bought the other day. He'd meant to make panini sandwiches with it, and now Naruto wanted to have lunch? He took a deep breath and tried again before he really lost his temper.

"Naruto, why are you here?"

Naruto grinned wider and stepped around the fridge door, bumping it closed again with his hip. His gait was a bit unsteady and his hands still shook. Sasuke wondered if they'd given him anything for the pain his concussion must be causing. He wondered if Naruto would dare take it with his history, though he'd never been an addict as far as Sasuke knew. Sasuke didn't like seeing the butterfly bandages over his brow that covered the laceration from the gun muzzle either. Naruto set the meat on the counter and went to root in his bread box for a loaf. He called to Sasuke over his shoulder, freezing his blood as he spoke.

"I'm here to watch out for you 'til you're better, Sasuke, of course. I'm gonna be staying for a while."

Naruto grinned even wider, something Sasuke didn't think was possible. He shuddered and stopped himself from groaning just in time. It was not going to be a good week if he had to fight his own needs while trying to recover from a stab wound. _Damn you, Naruto,_ he thought. But the look Naruto had had in his eyes when he'd been trying to help Sasuke after risking his own life to keep Henry involved with him and no one else stopped him. Sasuke couldn't take that again. He sighed and walked to the fridge to pull out the bread. He then walked, or limped rather, to the table to sit down. At least he could be sure Naruto would eat something. The man was far too skinny to satisfy him.


	3. There's No Place Like Home

**A/N: **This story, with this chapter, is now COMPLETE. So, happy early birthday to Lily. This is your present, completed. And look, I got it done early! How cool is _that_? Anyway, I hope you, and everyone else, enjoy this final installment.

**Chapter 3**

**There's No Place Like Home**

Naruto's smile faltered, growing weaker with every passing second spent in silence. He chafed at the back of his neck nervously and set his battered leather overnight bag on the floor.

"So, I'll get dinner started I guess," he said to fill the awkward moment.

He started for the kitchen but Sasuke waylaid him with a hand on his arm.

"Why don't you sit for a minute, Naruto? I have to clean my weapon anyway so we'll make dinner together after."

Naruto frowned but allowed Sasuke to lead him to the couch. His head was spinning a bit from the dull throbbing pulse in his temple. He'd been hit harder before but it seemed to be catching up with him in greater strength this time. He settled on the cool leather of the seats and sighed. The couch felt wonderful after the thin, threadbare mattresses of the shelters he'd been visiting recently. He looked up at a touch on his chin and realized Sasuke was kneeling in front of him.

"What?" he asked quietly. The ache in his skull reverberated down his jaw and he clenched in tightly, swallowing hard.

"I said, did they give you anything at the hospital to help with the pain?" Sasuke asked again patiently.

"Um, yeah," Naruto replied, reaching into his back pocket for the orange plastic pill bottle.

It rattled pleasantly with the small tablets and Naruto felt his hands shaking as he gripped the top. He couldn't seem to get a better hold on it. Sasuke took it from him and opened it, watching Naruto's face while he shook two pills into his hand.

"Here," he said calmly. Getting up and sauntering into the kitchen as best he could with most of his weight on one leg, Sasuke got a glass from the cabinet and filled it with water. Naruto sat with his hands perched between his knees when Sasuke returned. They still shook though it had gone down to an almost imperceptible level.

"It's just water, Naruto." Sasuke assured him when he felt Naruto flinch at the feel of the glass on his bare arm.

The ratty t-shirt he wore looked aged and threadbare. It used to have a logo on it, probably from some band, but now had only mere hints in a washed out dark blue. Naruto's jeans looked the same, nearly tattered in places and the cuffs worn through in spots. Sasuke frowned but stayed silent as he took out his gun from the holster again and set it down on his antique oak desk with beveled feet. He retrieved the cleaning kit from the right lower drawer and began to take the weapon apart. Once it had been cleaned with Hoppes' Gun solvent and oiled properly, he began to reassemble it. The method was standard and done by rote, he knew it so well. It helped him to think, especially after the kind of mission that he and his team had had that day.

"Do you want me to do anything?" Naruto asked softly. Sasuke had to strain his ears to hear him better. It felt wrong to him, especially knowing how jovial and energetic Naruto had been during primary and middle school. Naruto wouldn't look at him either. Sasuke hefted himself awkwardly out of his desk chair and walked over to kneel in front of him again.

"Naruto, you don't have to do anything right now. You could say I'll be looking out for you as much as you'll be doing the same for me, alright?" Sasuke told him gently.

Naruto surprised him by snorting and smiling sarcastically.

"Right, like we looked out for each other all those years ago."

Sasuke frowned harder. Perhaps it was the painkillers they'd given him at the hospital. Percocet could befuddle the mind pretty damn well as far as his experience from having had his wisdom teeth pulled a few years back.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. My memories of you are all good ones." Sasuke reached out a hand and used his thumb to erect gentle circles on the skin of Naruto's hand.

"I mean that, Naruto."

Naruto shook his head as if clearing it of the stupor it had apparently fallen into. He nodded then, and spent a good few minutes matching Sasuke's movements by rubbing at his back in slow, methodical patterns. Naruto sighed and leaned back onto the couch cushions, his eyes glazing a little with the addition of meds to ease his pain. Sasuke followed his movement only so far as he was sure that Naruto wouldn't fall off the couch and then he stood up.

His leg still pained him but he ignored it in favor of being able to move better. If he took the pain medication now, he wouldn't be good for very much longer. Sasuke set about making food, a few easy sandwiches. He used the salami that Naruto had brought out earlier and cheese. But by the time he got back to the couch, Naruto was dozing lightly, a frown playing at his mouth. Sasuke sighed and then narrowed his eyes.

"Why do you do such crazy things, Naruto? You make me worry so much," Sasuke muttered under his breath.

He couldn't allow the feeling welling in his chest any room so he brushed it aside and went up to his room to grab a shower.

Sasuke made his way down the stairs, a towel still draped over his shoulders and wet hair dripping onto it at slow intervals. He always loved the feeling of the water. He heard rustling and light clanging in the kitchen and assumed Naruto was awake, making something to eat. When he walked in, Naruto was cutting grilled salami and cheese sandwiches on two plates. Naruto smiled at him, none of the earlier curious self-deprecation present.

"Hey, I made some lunch," Naruto said cheerfully.

"I can see that," Sasuke commented.

He took a seat on one of the bar stools in front of the island cabinets that bisected the room. Once Naruto had sat down beside him, they began to eat in a comfortable, companionable silence.

"So, what are we going to do today?" Naruto asked off-handedly.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked, frowning.

"Well, we both need to recover a little so a nap wouldn't hurt. But what are we going to do with the rest of the time?" Naruto continued.

Suddenly, Sasuke found himself irrationally angry at the question.

"_We_ aren't going to be doing anything. As far as I know, _we_ don't share any interests, or anything at all aside from growing up for a few years in the same town," Sasuke bit out. He instantly regretted it at the look of hurt flashing in Naruto's eyes. It was gone so quickly, though, that perhaps he was reading too much into things. Naruto had always been very resourceful, even if his past career hadn't been anything Sasuke would have wished on the lowliest of criminals.

"Naruto," he had started to say, trying to mollify him.

"Hey," Naruto cut him off rather sharply. He took a small breath and then shrugged while continuing as he got up from the table.

"Don't worry about it. I'm not somebody that a cop like you should be talking to anyway, right? I get it."

Naruto shuffled his feet as he cleaned his and Sasuke's plates. There wasn't anything in his expression for most people to see as troubling. But Sasuke wasn't most people.

"Naruto, stop. I didn't really mean it. I'm just tired, stressed and pissed at how the last mission went down."

Sasuke, doggedly persistent, kept inching around the counter until he'd caught Naruto by the arm. Naruto's arm slid out of his grasp just enough for them to almost be holding hands and Sasuke moved back from him slightly. Their hands slid out from beneath each other and Sasuke felt the residual warmth tingling on the skin of his fingers.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Sasuke finally said grudgingly.

He wasn't very good at that kind of thing. Naruto nodded and skimmed the top of Sasuke's hand with his own, squeezing lightly on his fingers. Sasuke pulled them free and settled a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"I know it's early and you had a nap but we should try to get some more sleep. You'll heal faster that way," Sasuke urged.

Naruto smiled wanly and nodded his head again. His eyes stung, though he was sure it was from all the stress of the day and not the fact that his heart wrenched every time he thought of his friend who seemed so lonely and disconnected from the world. He wondered if Sasuke still preferred books to people. It was such a shame to think of all the things Sasuke was missing out on. Naruto sighed.

"Yeah, um, about that. You don't happen to have a spare bedroom in this grand house of yours, do you?" Naruto asked with just a touch of derision.

He couldn't help it. Sasuke hadn't said two words to him in nearly a year since he'd begun flowing up the ranks of his unit effortlessly. But Sasuke didn't seem angry. He smiled, and a little too widely. Naruto swallowed, having to work a little harder in his exhausted state to make it look normal.

"Yeah, I've got a spare. Come on," Sasuke said. But his voice hinted at something Naruto couldn't place and it almost pissed him off.

A whole year, one whole year with only a few meetings for coffee and a few nonsense conversations about the city and Naruto was beginning to feel out of place in Sasuke's life, let alone his house. He thought, and not for the first time, that injecting himself back into Sasuke's life probably hadn't been his smartest plan. But it was for his only friend and for himself, so they wouldn't be so lost and alone.

Naruto broke from his musings as soon as the door to the bedroom opened. It definitely did not look like a spare room. Usually they were done up in neutral colors so that it wouldn't matter who stayed in them. Sasuke's room looked . . . like Sasuke's room. It had dark blue walls and a white, vaulted ceiling. The bedding was a patterned blue and black bedspread that looked extremely soft and inviting. But Naruto turned darkening eyes to Sasuke, feeling irritation sweep through him despite how tired he was.

"This is your room," he said rather than asked.

"Yes, Naruto. Glad to see your observation skills are still intact," Sasuke quipped lightly.

He hadn't meant for it to come out like that and cursed his traitorous tongue. Just remembering what Naruto used to do made Sasuke feel angry. But it wasn't that he felt that way about Naruto. He knew very well that his friend wasn't very good at accepting help, or even admitting when he needed it. It was with no small amount of gratitude that he'd looked up Iruka Umino, an old teacher who'd helped Naruto out some time ago and with the job he held now, in order to thank him. Sasuke had given quite a large donation, coincidentally, just weeks before but even with it, he would've given much more if it had meant Naruto would quit that life.

"I said I had a spare, not that you would be using it, Naruto," Sasuke said to him then.

"What?! Just what does that mean, Sasuke? If you think I'm going to . . . ," Naruto nearly growled.

"Now stop right there," Sasuke cut him off. He knew where Naruto's mind had gone. He didn't think it was even the stress of the day. Knowing Naruto, his mind probably flew to something tawdry he had to do in exchange for anything nice because of his former . . . lifestyle.

"You're staying in here because I have to wake you every hour. To make sure you don't have a more serious injury that just took a while to develop," Sasuke said through gritted teeth.

Naruto moved his head back a little and squinted at Sasuke. He relaxed minutely and when Sasuke flipped the lights on and prepared only one side of the bed, he relaxed further. Sasuke pulled an armchair away from one of the far corners and settled into it with a book at the side table.

"Just get some sleep, Naruto. I'll be watching for the next few hours or so."

Naruto nodded hesitantly and got under the covers. The cool fabric was very soft, as he'd thought. It didn't take long for him to drift off. Sasuke lay awake far longer. Not just to continue to wake Naruto every hour for the next six or so. His mind raced with thoughts of his friend, how close they had been as kids and what Naruto had nearly had happen earlier in the day.

Sasuke felt cold suddenly. He swept the book off his lap and crept lightly to the side of the bed. Naruto slept through Sasuke's inner battles, of course. He could sleep through quite a bit, even gunfire. And that happened quite a bit in New York, especially around streetwalkers and hustlers. The fact that Naruto was also gay actually compounded his problems from Sasuke's point of view.

Sasuke brushed a stray lock of hair from Naruto's face. It was quite silky despite the horrid spikes that were very natural. It surprised Sasuke. He ran his fingers through it again and sighed. He wanted sleep, real sleep. Deciding that seven hours after a concussion along with all the time Naruto had spent awake followed the doctor's orders well enough, Sasuke climbed into bed with his friend. He settled under the covers and turned to the wall when Naruto's breath on his face became to irksome.

And now he couldn't sleep. Sasuke shifted and turned over restlessly again. He was now facing Naruto again. Staring at the scars on his cheeks, most likely a present from a pimp or an angry, drugged-out customer, Sasuke thought they were beautiful. He hated whatever had happened to put them there. But they were beautiful. He reached up to brush the same lock of hair from earlier out of Naruto's eyes. Naruto shifted in his sleep and made a face, scrunching up his nose. Sasuke let out a very quiet laugh. It was cute, endearing almost. He shook his head, startled that he had let himself get so far into a dream that could never be.

It wasn't that he didn't care a lot about Naruto. It wasn't that he was afraid of how it would look for them to finally be together. He had obligations. Being a member of the Hostage Rescue Squad, being a cop, were things that he'd wanted for his life ever since his father had been gunned down in the line of duty. His brother had followed not soon after he'd graduated, trying to talk a drunken mugger into giving up his hostage. Itachi hadn't been trained well in negotiating, despite Sasuke having a firm belief that he could do anything and that his father was stronger than the hardest rock, he'd eventually come to terms with both of their deaths. So, he had obligations to his family, and to his mother, who every day mourned her husband and son.

But staring at Naruto's face now, Sasuke couldn't keep the other thoughts in his head. He couldn't think about anything aside from the fact that the police department's rules and stupid double standards on gays was keeping him from Naruto. Or the fact that his own fears about his family, so deeply rooted, may end up sending him along to join them. That would nearly kill his mother. _No_, Sasuke thought, _she really will die if I wind up the same._ And it wasn't like he was impervious to danger. The events of earlier proved that. And he hadn't even called her.

So many thoughts were running through his head, making it so hard to do anything, that Sasuke wanted nothing more than a distraction from it all. No, what he really wanted was to forget about the anxiety, forget about the rules, and do something he'd wanted to do for as long as he'd known Naruto. On a whim, or more like resolve if he were being honest with himself, Sasuke leaned closer to Naruto's face.

Naruto was frowning lightly in his sleep again. His breath was still even though, so Sasuke didn't think he was having a bad dream. Maybe he was just dreaming. Naruto shifted his hips and wound up facing Sasuke better, his legs splayed out toward the end of the bed. Sasuke swallowed hard and closed his eyes. When he felt the first contact, it was electric. He felt the surge through his whole body and nearly collapsed. It was just a simple kiss, very light.

But it was enough to make him want to throw out everything he'd worked for. And, why not? The job he had now was just a job. But lying to himself, to his friends and family every time he tried to brush off their comments about his love life was something he hated himself for. Sasuke swallowed it all down and dove in for another kiss, a little harder than he had wanted. Naruto stirred and when Sasuke leaned back up, heart pounding in his chest, Naruto had opened his eyes to stare at him sleepily.

"Sasuke? Do I have to wake up again?"

Naruto's voice was still thick from sleep but Sasuke could not, for his own piece of mind, let it end at that.

"No, you don't have to, Naruto. But I'm glad you did," he said solemnly.

He could see Naruto fighting the draw of more sleep to sit up on his elbows.

"Why? What happened?" he asked, still groggy.

Sasuke watched him rub at his eyes and smiled a little. He really couldn't back out now. And while he felt slightly sad at the thought, (he'd had a really good career to look forward to after all), he felt no hesitation as he leaned close to breathe in Naruto's ear.

"It's so I can do this, Naruto," he whispered.

Then he pressed his lips to the shell of Naruto's ear and ran it down to the lobe. He sucked a little at it and heard Naruto hiss. He had also felt him freeze at the contact.

"Sasuke! Stop!" Naruto called out.

Sasuke pulled back and felt his heart beat against his ribs achingly.

"Why? You didn't like it?" he asked.

Then he closed his mouth sharply. What kind of question was that to ask? No one told him to stop unless they really didn't like him in that way. He felt his heart begin to sink to his knees and could tell they had begun to weaken. If he tried to stand up now . . .

"Are you drunk? Naruto asked. The question caught him off-guard. He tilted his head to the side and glared at him.

"Just when would I have had time to get drunk when I was taking care of you? You know how I feel about you, how I've felt for years. Why do you think I kept my distance?" Sasuke shot back, irritated.

He glared at Naruto who looked very confused and sleep ruffled. The shirt he'd worn to bed had risen up and Sasuke could see his abdomen. It was taut and firm but not well defined, just as he remembered from their days in summer camp under the pool showers. Sasuke had stolen glances then, only. He hadn't wanted to be this way. But he could no longer ignore it.

"You – what?" Naruto asked, stunned. He shook his head and rubbed at his eyes again. Sasuke rolled his at him and looked up at the ceiling.

`"You're not dreaming, Naruto. I just confessed. I like you okay? I want to spend time with you. No more coffee."

"Sasuke," Naruto got out eventually.

He'd lowered his head and the mess of spikes that served as bangs had covered his eyes. They usually did without gel. Sasuke waited. When Naruto began to squirm on the bed and rose up to sit facing him, he smiled to himself.

"So can I try again?" Sasuke asked, amused.

Naruto nodded and then looked up aghast.

"Try again? What did you do?!"

Sasuke wasn't going to let the look of almost terror stop him. He knew how Naruto felt, better than he did it seemed.

"I kissed you earlier," he answered simply.

"You – wait . . . what?!" Naruto faltered trying to get control of his indignation.

"What the hell, Sasuke! You said I didn't have to worry about anything! That's basically assault!"

"Not with you moaning out my name and twisting in the sheets, it isn't," Sasuke replied dryly.

Naruto looked contrite and lowered his eyes before answering. When he did, it was hesitant, as if he were afraid of the answer.

"I did that?" he asked in a small voice.

Sasuke couldn't help it. He began to snicker, just a little.

"No, but you obviously have before or you wouldn't look so scared. So, tell me, is it any different for you to get yourself off to thoughts of me? Why can't we do something different about it?"

"What?! I didn't?" Naruto squawked, ignoring the last part of Sasuke's remark.

Sasuke frowned. Naruto was being stubborn which meant that Sasuke would have to be better at it.

"Don't ignore me, Naruto. I want to know if I'm right. Do you feel anything for me or not? Don't waste my time."

They had been best friends for so long before they'd lost touch also and that didn't help how this was going, Sasuke was sure. But Sasuke's tone had left no room for arguing. Naruto fiddled with the sheets, twisting them up in his fingers. He let go when he breathed out a sigh and pushed himself to sit upright properly.

"I just think this is kind of sudden don't you? I mean, we get hurt in that bust and you suddenly confess? You sure this isn't some kind of reaction to that?"

Sasuke blinked at him. Naruto had a point. He blinked again and shook his head, flabbergasted. But when he thought back over it, it wasn't that the thoughts had come about because of the hostage situation that Naruto had been involved in. It was the hostage situation that had cleared his head of all the other, not as essential portions of his thinking.

"I know what I'm doing, Naruto. And . . . I want to kiss you right now," he answered, his voice low and even.

Naruto inhaled sharply at his words and leaned back just a tiny bit. But he corrected himself quickly, freezing on the spot. When he felt Sasuke's lips on him he nearly melted. It had been so long since he'd had any contact that wasn't abusive or a part of his former profession that it almost felt foreign. When the kissing progressed to nips and licks, Naruto found it easier to handle.

Slowly, he relented against Sasuke's barrage of kisses. They ended up lying down with Naruto under him. Soon, their clothes began to fall all around them. Naruto sucked in a sharp, heavy breath when he felt Sasuke's hands on his stomach, his thighs . . . his back. It was all so surreal. He felt as though he were still dreaming; or maybe drowning.

Sasuke pulled at his head gently, thumbing the sides of his face. They kissed again and Naruto moaned into it. He reached down to slide his hand along Sasuke's cock deftly. Sasuke almost mewled and lowered his hips so Naruto could touch more of him. He had to clench his teeth and hold his breath when Naruto lowered his head and changed the angle he was laying in to go down on him. Naruto swiped his tongue up and down Sasuke's cock and finally took it in his mouth completely. Sasuke cried out at the pressure and the pleasure of it all.

When it came time to go further though, Sasuke hesitated.

"It's okay. I'll bottom," Naruto assured him. Sasuke wondered if he had sensed what was wrong.

A few minutes spent with his fingers inside the cleft of Naruto's ass and he was moaning quietly. It was driving Sasuke beyond his limits. So he was quick to push inside. His cock had begun to ache from the lack of attention and now it was on fire. It had been too long for both of them apparently. Not a spare few minutes later and Naruto was crying out against his shoulder and his muscles were contracting and tightening up everywhere. Sasuke felt the muscles, those beautifully tight and hot muscles around his cock, tighten painfully close around him. He shuddered and pushed in a few more times before he felt the orgasm hit. Crying out and burrowing his head against Naruto's shoulder, he came.

When their breathing had calmed down and they settled in for the rest of the night to sleep, Sasuke turned his head to scan Naruto's face.

"What are you doing?" Naruto asked without opening his eyes. Sasuke thought about it for a long second or two.

Then he said, "Watching over you."

He wrapped his arms around Naruto in a light hug and closed his eyes, exhausted. Naruto smiled a tiny, grateful smile before opening his eyes to stare down at Sasuke. He ruffled the black hair into even messier spikes in the back and sighed. And then, because he had wanted to do nothing else for a very long time, Naruto fell asleep in Sasuke's arms.


End file.
